RD Program at TechEd

I can't describe how much of an honour it has been this year to have joined the MSDN Regional Director program. This has really been brought home to me at TechEd where so many of the RDs are present.

Getting to spend time with "older hands" in the RD program like Kim Tripp, Stephen Forte, Juval Lowy, Carl Franklin, Richard Campbell, Jackie Goldstein, John Alexander, Ken Spencer,  Barry Gervin, Scott Hanselman, Tim Huckaby, Dongbum Lee, Joe Homnick, Rocky Lhotka, Richard Hundhausen, Scott Golightly, Fernando Guerrero, Adam Cogan, Michele Leroux Bustamante (and many many more of the people I admire in the industry that I haven't mentioned here) along with fellow "newbies" like Brian Noyes and Mark Dunn and to be made to feel so welcome in the group, has been outstanding.

A few things need special mention though. At the RD function on Tuesday night, there was an award ceremony. A number of RD's were received bronze, silver and gold awards for "global reach" and there is an RD of the year. This year saw Mauro Sant'Anna handed the RD of the Year title from last year's winner Kate Gregory, along with a gold award. Richard Campbell also received a gold award. I was a little stunned and humbled to receive a silver award, given the other few silver recipients included people like Carl Franklin.

While any award is never the focus of anyone's efforts, it certainly prompts me to increase my efforts yet again. Thank you to Kevin Schuler (RD lead) and to all those involved!

I can't close this post without mentioning the "talent" show that was run after dinner. I thoroughly enjoyed Ken Spencer's efforts in playing guitar and singing. Carl Franklin also performed with his guitar. (Kevin noted that he missed the idea about the show involving "real" talent).

But the feature of the night for me was Michele Leroux Bustamante's rendition of "Smelly Cat". (as previouly done by Phoebie in Friends). That's burned in my memory forever.